So I Got My First Snake...

Ok so I got my first snake and he’s a BCI. I got him Fromm Tinley and I just want to make sure I’m doing everything right!

Enclosure
He’s 6 months I’d say he’s not too big at all. I have him set up in a plastic tub that’s 36 x 16 x 14
he seems to have plenty of room to stretch out and roam so I’m thinking it should be just fine for now!
Here’s the container: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hefty-HI-...3e&athena=true

this is just temporary until I see that he’s starting to put grow it then I’ll move him into something more permanent.

Temps. + Humidity
Right now I’m using a ceramic heat emitter to heat the enclosure and the surrounding area where it’s kept. Because it’s plastic I’m obviosly not going to put it right on the enclosure so it’s a safe distance out.
The cool end is at 78-80 degrees right now and the rest of the enclosure is at 82-84 degrees with a hotspot of 88-89 degrees. I hope this is a good gradient for him? Humidity is at 66% right now.

Food
He’s currently eating hopper mice and I plan to feed him every 8-9 days at his current size but I plan on bumping him up to adult mice in a month or so because he’s almost to the right size to handle those guys.



PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know if I have some incorrect information or if there’s something I could be doing better. I’m still young but at 19 I’ve been doing research for years before getting this guy and I just want to give him the best life I can <3

congrats! so all that sounds about right to me but i only have one BCI. i have been told they like to climb a bit, nothing crazy but mine may as well be a ball python lol

So far, your setup sounds good. Congrats on the new purchase and on doing your homework in advance! :)

I would suggest a few things for you to look into that you either didn't mention, or I think no one may have mentioned to you yet.

1. Use binder clips (bulldog clips) or luggage straps as additional "security" to hold the tub lid down. I do this on all my stand-alone quarantine tubs and have seen baby boas push at tubs to test for weak points before. I place the clips/straps in the center of the long side of the tub and this seems to be sufficient.

2. You want the foot print of the tub to be the length of the snake or a little large (so if he is 3' long, a 2'x1' footprint or larger would work). You also want enough room for hides on either end and a waterbowl in the center.

3. Hides- You want the 2 hides to be identical in size and make so that the snake won't prefer one (due to size or design) and choose that over the correct temp. The hides should be snug to the snake's body size to make them feel secure. If your hides are too large, you can crumple up paper to put in the hide to help. I LOVE the plastic hides from Reptile Basics. They are cheap and I always keep a spare clean set on hand so that I can change them out quickly if the snake has a "blowout".

4. Waterbowl- Ideally, you want to use one that is wide and deep enough for the snake to soak if needed. Consider how much room the snake would take up if soaking and fill your bowl accordingly so that he won't flood the cage if he does this.

5. Watch for mites. Mites are a very common issue, especially with show pickups. If you see your snake soaking, check the water bowl for little black dots. You can also rub a wet paper towel down the length of the snake to see if any mites come off. If you do see mites, you can treat them, but it takes a couple months to completely get ride of them. Keeping your snake on paper towels while in quarantine can also make it easier to spot the mites.

6. Don't handle for the first month or so.. Wait until he has fed 4-5 times and defecated well before you handle him (other than for cage maintenence). Begin in a new environment is stressful and making sure he is well adjusted first will help.

7. Hook (tap) training- I own 5 boas and they have a massive feeding response as adults. To prevent any mistaken feeding bites, it is a good idea to begin tap training your boa at a young age and keep it up as he grows. To do this, use a hook, paper towel tube, etc. and gently touch your boa on the side (stroking motions) every time you go into his tub to clean, handle, or do anything other than feeding. This will wake him up and prevent him from being startled and he will also learn to associate the stroking with you messing with his cage and not feeding him. This can be very useful as he ages and help you get him out of "food mode" if you need to. My adult male BCA is 5.5' long and will slam the glass when he is in food mode. All it takes is a couple strokes of the hook and he knows he isn't going to be fed and calms down.

8. Feeding- Feed using tongs or foreceps..Not using your hands. This will prevent accidental feeding bites. As he ages, longer tongs may be necessary.

9. Caging- You mentioned waiting to upgrade him. I didn't upgrade most of my boas to their adult enclosures until they were about 4' long. Up until then, I used different plastic tubs as they grew. I would highly suggest that you look into and start saving up for a pvc cage to be his adult home. Most male boas will be good in a 4'x2'x 15" (or taller) pvc cage as adults.

I house mine in Animal plastics cages with sliding glass locking doors, basking shelves, heat tape, and recessed LED lighting. These cages aren't cheap, but they will last the life of the boa and are a better value than other cages on the market (IMO). PVC cages hold humidity better than glass aquariums and are much easier to clean with their front opening doors.

Good luck with your new little one and welcome to the snake-owning community! IMO, boas are one of the best snakes personality-wise and are my favorite species to work with.

The previous reply pretty much answers everything but I thought I’d chime in. Instead of mice I would move him up to rat pups. Rats are superior imo as they have higher protein content. Also for caging I have mine in a DIY (brand) critter condo. It’s pretty much the same thing as animal plastics/vision but much cheaper. If you plan on stacking cages vision is probably more ridged than DIY.


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Congratulations on your new boa. I Think everything has been said very well above.
Good luck and don't forget the pics

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Thank you so much for the advice! I’ve already got an animal plastics enclosure picked out for him for when he gets bigger ^u^ they’re products just look gorgeous and I love all the add ons that come with. I currently have a water bowl that’s big enough for his entire body and I bought two plastic hides but they’re too big for him right now so I have two more natural looking ones in there that are perfect. He’s in ecoearth at the moment to keep the humidity up and he has a climbing branch for enrichment since he’s still young and a climber. The only thing I need to look into is the clips/straps you mentioned! Right now he can’t lift the lid at all but give him a year and he’ll probably be able to find a way out so thank you for that!!

I'm glad we could help. The binder/bulldog clips can be found at office supply stores or places like Walmart. You would want the largest size (about 2" wide). Luggage straps can be found in the luggage section of walmart or similar places. I'd get them sooner rather than later..Baby snakes are very thin and can squeeze through tiny cracks.

I forgot to mention that soldering holes into the tub in a few places will help with ventilation as well. I use a soldering iron for this and some people use a drill bit.

My boas enjoy climbing even as adults, which is why I went with AP's basking shelf option and also put thick branches in their enclosures. My adult male BCA is often out on his shelf or laying on his branch above the ground.

Make sure the AP cage you have selected is taller than 12". The 12" tall ones can be hard to reach into the back corners for cleaning.

Congratulations on your first snake (BCI's rock!) and :welcome: